21
ANOTHER CROC!
‘Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys! The show is about to begin. Please welcome our two favourite clowns, Socks and Jocks!’ bellows the ringmaster.
The crowd starts to get excited. I look over to where Nanna and Aunty Merle are sitting and I can see Nanna looking around for me. She’d lose her cookies if she knew where I was.
The two clowns drive a tractor into the ring. They are towing a large object covered by a tarpaulin. Everyone stands up to try and see what it is. Socks and Jocks jump off the tractor and fall over, cracking the audience up. Then they run around and bump into each other and fall over, doing backward rolls.
‘You silly clowns!’ laughs the ringmaster. ‘Please come over and tell the audience what you are doing.’
Jocks runs over and grabs the microphone. ‘Well, Mr Ringmaster, sir,’ he says in a silly voice. ‘We have some new clowns this evening!’
The ringmaster pretends to look surprised. ‘But we already have clowns!’ he cries, throwing his hands in the air.
‘I know! That’s why we’re going to feed these spare ones to a man-eating crocodile!’ says Jocks, giggling.
The spotlight moves up the pole to reveal the two clowns at the top, frozen with fear. They have L-plates stuck to their costumes, just like the ones that learner drivers have stuck to their cars. Justice is clutching Coach Bennett’s leg. The audience laughs, thinking it’s part of the act.
The spotlight travels back down the pole to Socks. Jocks looks over and gives him the signal. With a dramatic sweep, Socks pulls the tarpaulin back to reveal a swimming pool. The audience gasps. There’s a huge croc in the water!
Socks grabs a long hook with a barbecued chook at the end. When Socks holds it over the water, the croc circles and then jumps up to snap the chicken in its jaws. I can see the terror on Justice’s face from way down here.
The crocodile in the pool is so big, it makes the lions and tigers look like stuffed animals in a toy shop.
‘And so,’ continues the ringmaster, ‘tonight our crocodile might get its first main meal in over two weeks. It sure looks hungry!’
The crowd still thinks he’s tricking, but he’s totally for real. The crocodile can smell fear from up above and his eyes are fixed on Coach Bennett and Justice.
The ringmaster now puts on a softer voice, almost threatening. ‘But — I will be happy to let these clowns walk free and keep the crocodile hungry if someone can do something for me … ’
The crowd murmurs, wondering what he’s talking about. He scans the audience. I know he’s looking for me. He doesn’t know that I’m the skinny trapeze artist at the side of the ring.
‘There is a boy I am looking for. He knows who he is. If he can come to the front of the ring, I will let these poor clowns go,’ says the ringmaster.
I’m not sure that I trust this ringmaster fella. Even if I do front up, he’ll probably feed Justice and Coach to the crocs, just to keep them quiet.
‘Just feed them to the crocs!’ yells the boy in the North Queensland Cowboys hat. Everyone cracks up.
‘Now, now,’ says the ringmaster, calming the crowd. ‘If the boy comes to see me, I will let these nice clowns go. If not, the platform they are standing on will collapse and they will join the crocodile!’
If I don’t give myself up, Coach Bennett and Justice are croc-bait.
The ringmaster turns away from the croc pool and gestures to the other side of the ring. ‘While we wait, please welcome BIGTOP’s amazing trapeze artists — The Flying Frenchmen!’ he announces.
The lights go down and some suspenseful music plays. Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder.
‘Hey, new girl, you should already be up there!’ whispers a muscly man in a leotard made of the same glittery green material as my top. He has a French accent, just like one of those chefs on TV. He’s pointing to a platform on the other side of the ring. It’s so high up, I can hardly see it.
But I — ’
‘Hurry up!’ he hisses, pushing me in front of him. The crowd is clapping. There’s nowhere for me to run. It looks like I’m the newest member of the Flying Frenchmen.
